Jessica Gorzo

Data Scientist

Cellular Tracking Technologies, Erma, NJ

Recent Experience

Mar. 2024 - Present Remote Research associate (Conservation Science Global, Inc.)

  • Data wrangling and ecological analysis
  • Working on a variety of projects to complete grant goals and produce required deliverables

Jul. 2020 - Present Rio Grande, NJ Data scientist (Cellular Tracking Technologies LLC)

  • Develop methodology to estimate locations from radio and Bluetooth signals from wildlife telemetry devices
  • Manage data pipelines and processes that deliver and display data via web interfaces

Aug. 2016 - Jun. 2020 Duluth, MN Researcher (Natural Resources Research Institute - University of Minnesota)

  • Landscape Ecologist

Contractor

Summer 2021, 2024 Tuckahoe, NJ Marsh Bird Survey Technician (New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection)

  • Worked as a contractor to survey sensitive and endangered noctural avian species via boat transects
  • Solely by-ear bird identification required for night surveys

Jul. 2018 - Present Remote Co-Founder (On the Wing Scientific Consulting LLC)

  • Data science consulting projects including spatio-temporal modeling
  • Create tools for improving workflows

Education

2004-08 Blacksburg, VA B.S. Biological Sciences (Virginia Tech)

2009-11 Clemson, SC M.S. Wildlife & Fisheries Biology (Clemson University)

2012-16 Madison, WI Ph.D. Wildlife Ecology (University of Wisconsin)

Thesis & Dissertation

Gorzo, J. M. (2016). Avian response to weather in the central US grasslands [PhD thesis]. The University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Gorzo, J. M. (2012). Avian communities and landscape characteristics of golf courses within the Beaufort County sea island complex [Master’s thesis]. Clemson University.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Gorzo, J. M., Pidgeon, A. M., Thogmartin, W. E., Allstadt, A. J., Radeloff, V. C., Heglund, P. J., & Vavrus, S. J. (2016). Using the North American Breeding Bird Survey to assess broad-scale response of the continent’s most imperiled avian community, grassland birds, to weather variability. The Condor: Ornithological Applications, 118(3), 502–512.
Schilke, P. R., Bartrons, M., Gorzo, J. M., Vander Zanden, M. J., Gratton, C., Howe, R. W., & Pidgeon, A. M. (2020). Modeling a cross-ecosystem subsidy: Forest songbird response to emergent aquatic insects. Landscape Ecology, 35, 1587–1604.
McIntyre, N., Liu, G., Gorzo, J. M., Wright, C. K., Guntenspergen, G. R., & Schwartz, F. (2019). Simulating the effects of climate variability on waterbodies and wetland-dependent birds in the Prairie Pothole Region. Ecosphere, 10(4), e02711.
Hamilton, C. M., Bateman, B. L., Gorzo, J. M., Reid, B., Thogmartin, W. E., Peery, M. Z., Heglund, P. J., Radeloff, V. C., & Pidgeon, A. M. (2018). Slow and steady wins the race? Future climate and land use change leaves the imperiled Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) behind. Biological Conservation, 222, 75–85.
Latimer, C. E., Graves, R., Pidgeon, A. M., Gorzo, J. M., Henschell, M. M., Schilke, P. R., Hobi, M. L., Olah, A., Kennedy, C. M., Zuckerberg, B., et al. (2022). Rising novelty and homogenization of breeding bird communities in the US. bioRxiv, 2022–2009.
Simonetti, J., Chou, A., Dowd, J., Gorzo, J., Grimm, C., Harold, M., Hubbard, R., Kuether, T., Loyd, R., Nipper, B., et al. (2008). Minor Planet Observations [841 Martin Observatory, Blacksburg]. Minor Planet Circulars, 62871, 9.

Conference Presentations

Gorzo, J. M., & Burcher, S. (2024). Automated radio telemetry: Study design and data analysis. Meeting of the American Ornithological Society.
Burcher, S., Blackshire, S., Gorzo, J., Lanzone, M., La Puma, D., & Mizrahi, D. (2024a). Tracking wildlife movements with networks of fixed radio receivers. 8th International Bio-Logging Science Symposium.
Burcher, S., Blackshire, S., Gorzo, J., Lanzone, M., La Puma, D., & Mizrahi, D. (2024b). Tracking wildlife movements with networks of fixed radio receivers. Meeting of the American Ornithological Society.
Gorzo, J. M., & Wright, C. K. (2018). Mallard Distribution and Wetland Network Modularity in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). IALE-NA, T02, Terrestrial–aquatic ecosystem interactions.
Gorzo, J. M. (2017). Waterfowl response to weather and land cover in the prairie potholes. Proceedings of the Ninety-Eighth Annual Meeting, 922. https://doi.org/10.1676/1559-4491-129.4.911
Gorzo, J. M., Pidgeon, A., Allstadt, A., Thogmartin, W., Vavrus, S., & Heglund, P. (2016). Land cover and weather drivers of avian site fidelity. Proceedings of the Society for Conservation Biology.
Wright, C. K., & Gorzo, J. M. (2018). For mallard ducks, the network is the habitat. AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, 2018, H21L–1826.
Gorzo, J. M., Pidgeon, A. M., Thogmartin, W., Allstadt, A., & Radeloff, V. (2015). Grassland bird response to weather in the badlands and prairies. Meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union/Cooper Society.
Gorzo, J. M. (2014). Avian population response to extreme weather events. Nelson Earth Day Conference.
Gorzo, J. M., & Jodice, P. G. R. (2011). The breeding bird community of coastal golf courses in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union.
Bateman, B., Gorzo, J. M., Pidgeon, A., Radeloff, V., Akcakaya, R., Flather, C., Albright, T., Vavrus, S., Thogmartin, W., & Heglund, P. (2013). Use of multiple data sources in identifying drivers of abundance in an irruptive species, the dickcissel. Meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union/Cooper Ornithological Society.
Allstadt, A. J., Gorzo, J. M., Bateman, B. L., Heglund, P. J., Pidgeon, A. M., Thogmartin, W., Vavrus, S. J., & Radeloff, V. (2016). Effects of weather on the abundance and distribution on populations of 103 breeding bird species across the United States. AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, 2016, GC11D–1181.

Technical Reports

Noe, R., Locke, C., Host, G., Gorzo, J., Johnson, L., Lonsdorf, E., Grinde, A., Joyce, M., Bednar, J., Dumke, J., et al. (2021). Measuring what matters: Assessing the full suite of benefits of OHF investments.
Johnson-Bice, S., Gorzo, J. M., Kovalenko, K., Brown, T., & Host, G. (2020). Predicting Potential Beaver Dam Sites on Lake Superior’s North Shore. Natural Resources Research Institute.

Contributions

StellaR: http://www.r-gis.net/stellar/

Updated code for Supplement 1. R Script in 2016 for the publication: Jackson, M. M., Turner, M. G., Pearson, S. M., & Ives, A. R. (2012). Seeing the forest and the trees: multilevel models reveal both species and community patterns. Ecosphere, 3(9), 1-16. https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplement_1_R_script_and_input_data_file_for_creating_multilevel_models_using_the_forest_herb_data_set_described_in_the_main_text_/3563784?file=5637069

Contributed “Raptors and songbirds” (8.4.5.1) pp.565-566 in Jodice, P. G. R., Tavano, J., Mackin, W., & Michel, J. (2013). South Atlantic information resources: data search and literature synthesis. US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, regulation, and enforcement, Gulf of Mexico OCS region, 475, 587

Teaching

Selected Invited Seminars

Gorzo, J.M. “Career Perspective: From Wildlife to Data Science” Stockton University (remote) 4/18/24
Gorzo, J.M. “Networks and Connectivity in Landscape Ecology” University of Minnesota-Duluth, 2020
Gorzo, J.M. “Introduction to Birding & Community Science” University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 2016

Teaching Assistant

Forestry Practicum (“Summer Camp”), Kemp Natural Resource Station (2012, 2014)
Introduction to Astronomy Lab (2 Sections) Virginia Tech (2008)

Short Course & Workshop Instructor

BIOSC 730: Wolves and Society, Clemson University (2013)
Elderhostel: Astronomy, Mountain Lake VA (Fall 2007)

Outreach, Service & Fundraising

  • Birding field guide (paid or volunteer) for various festivals
    • Cape May Fall Festival, Cape May Bird Observatory/NJ Audubon (2023-2024)
    • Cape May Spring Festival, Cape May Bird Observatory/NJ Audubon (2024)
    • Sax-Zim Bog Birding Festival (2014 - 2019)
  • World Series of Birding: Participant in Carbon Footprint Challenge
    • 2015: tied for 1st
    • 2021: 2nd place in social/physical distance COVID-19 modified rules
  • Great Wisconsin Birdathon Participant (2013, 2016)
  • BRRRRDathon (Team Overall Winner, Record Setter Jan. 2013)

Television

Expeditions – air date Oct 17 2010
Guest appearance, season 4, Episode 7: “The ACE Basin – A Conservation Miracle”
Discussed painted bunting habitat requirements, threats and conservation needs
(Listing and TV show description:
http://www.clemson.edu/public/expeditions/episode_guide/season_4.html )

Radio

Your Day – air date Aug 30 2010
(Segment begins 45:50 http://cufan.clemson.edu/psaradiopod/YDPodcast/YD100830.mp3 )

Academic

Ad hoc reviewer: Journal of Arid Environments, Landscape & Urban Planning, Landscape Ecology, PLOS ONE, Wilson Ornithological Society, Biological Conservation, Avian Conservation & Ecology
Professional Memberships: Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society (inducted 2010), American Ornithological Society, US-International Association for Landscape Ecology

Awards & Honors

2015 Travel Award, American Ornithologist’s Union/Cooper Ornithological Society Conference
2011 Outstanding Service to the Clemson Experimental Forest
Dean’s List (undergraduate)

Certifications

Hunter’s Safety Certificate, Conservation Leaders of Tomorrow Workshop GA 2010
Certificate of Boating Safety Education, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Coffee College, Virginia Tech